Mounting apparatus for pci card

ABSTRACT

A mounting apparatus is configured for securing a PCI card and includes a chassis, a securing member and a latch member. The chassis includes a bottom wall and a sidewall perpendicularly connected to the bottom wall. A printed circuit board is secured to the bottom wall, and the sidewall is capable of securing the PCI card. The securing member is secured to a printed circuit board and defining a holding space. The latch member is slidably received in the holding space, the latch member capable of securing the PCI card.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/789,758, filed on May 28, 2010, titled “MOUNTING APPATATUS FOR PCICARD”.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a mounting apparatus for securing aPeripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) card to a chassis.

2. Description of Related Art

Usually, only one end of a PCI card is secured to a chassis of acomputer when the PCI card is inserted into a PCI connector of amotherboard. However, the PCI card, in particular a long PCI card, mayencounter instability during the computer's normal operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with referencesto the following drawings. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in thedrawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an assembled view of a mounting apparatus and a plurality ofPCI cards in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a printed circuit board, the lockingmechanism, and the plurality of PCI cards of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a locking mechanism of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way oflimitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate similar elements. It should be noted that referencesto “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily tothe same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a mounting apparatus in accordance with anembodiment is configured for securing a plurality of PCI cards 50 eachwith a pin portion 52. The mounting apparatus includes a chassis 70, alocking mechanism 30, and a plurality of securing plates 60.

The chassis 70 includes a bottom wall 72 and a sidewall 71 connected tothe bottom wall 72. In one embodiment, the sidewall 71 is substantiallyperpendicular to the bottom wall 72. A printed circuit board 10, such asa motherboard, is secured to an inner surface of the bottom wall 72. Aplurality of PCI connectors 11 is located on the printed circuit board10 and are capable of receiving the pin portions 52 of the PCI cards 50to be electronically connected with the printed circuit board 10. Theprinted circuit board 10 defines two through holes 15. A supportingportion 712 is located on an inner surface of the sidewall 71.

Referring to FIG. 3, the locking mechanism 30 includes a securing member31 and a plurality of latch members 33 capable of being secured to thesecuring member 31.

The securing member 31 includes a main portion 311. The main portion 311extends along a direction and defines two securing holes 3112,corresponding to through holes 15 of the printed circuit board 10. Aplurality of blocks 313 is located on the main portion 311. A holdingspace 3131 is defined between each two adjacent blocks 313, configuredfor receiving the latch members 33. Two protrusions 3135 are located ineach holding spaces 3131 and extend towards each other. A gap 3137 isdefined between each protrusion 3135 and the main portion 311.

Each latch member 33 includes a locking portion 331, a first lever 335and a second lever 337. The locking portion 331 includes a first tab3311 and a second tab 3313 at each of opposite sides. A securing slot3315 is defined between the first tab 3311 and the second tab 3313,configured for receiving the protrusion 3135 of the securing member 31.The first tabs 3311 are configured to be inserted into the gaps 3137 ofthe securing member 31. The first lever 335 has a length greater thanthat of the second lever 337. A slit 339, defined between the firstlever 335 and the second lever 337, receives the PCI card 50.

Each securing plate 60 is secured to one PCI card 50 and is capable ofsecuring the PCI card 50 to the supporting portion 712 of the sidewall71 of the chassis 70.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the printed circuit board 10 is fixed on thebottom wall 72 of the chassis 70. The securing member 31 of the lockingmechanism 30 is placed on the printed circuit board 10, and the securingholes 3112 of the securing member 31 correspond to the through holes 15of the printed circuit board 10. Two fasteners (not shown), such asscrews, are screwed into the securing holes 3112 and the through holes15 to secure the securing member 31 to the printed circuit board 10 orthe bottom wall 72.

The pin portions 52 of the PCI cards 50 are inserted into the PCIconnectors 11 of the printed circuit board 10. The PCI cards 50 aresubstantially perpendicular to the sidewall 71 of the chassis 70. Thesecuring plates 60 are secured to the support portion 712 of thesidewall 71, and one end of each PCI card 50 is adjacent to the securingmember 31. The locking portions 331 of the latch members 33 are insertedinto the holding spaces 3131 of the securing member 31 along a firstdirection substantially perpendicular to the sidewall 71 and theextending direction of the main body 3311. The first tabs 3311 of thesecuring member 31 are received in gaps 3137 of the securing member 31.The protrusions 3135 of the securing member 31 are received in thesecuring slots 35 of the latch member 33. The ends of the PCI cards 50are received in the slits 339 of the latch member 33. Therefore, the PCIcards 50 are secured to the chassis 70.

In removal of the PCI cards 50, the latch members 33 are removed fromthe securing member 31 along a direction opposite to the firstdirection, and the PCI cards 50 are disengaged from the slits of thelatch members 33. Then, the securing plates 60 are disengaged from thesupporting portion 712 of the sidewall 71. The PCI cards 50 can be takenout from the chassis 70.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoingdescription of embodiments, together with details of the structures andfunctions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only andchanges may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, andarrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the fullextent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which theappended claims are expressed.

1. A mounting apparatus configured for securing a PCI card, the mountingapparatus comprising: a chassis, the chassis comprising a bottom walland a sidewall perpendicularly connected to the bottom wall; a printedcircuit board being secured to the bottom wall, and the sidewall beingcapable of securing the PCI card; a securing member, the securing memberbeing secured to the printed circuit board and defining a holding space;and a latch member slidably received in the holding space, the latchmember capable of securing the PCI card.
 2. The mounting apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the latch member defines a slit capable of receivingthe PCI card.
 3. The mounting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the latchmember comprises a first lever and a second lever, the first lever ofthe latch member has a length greater than that of the second lever, andthe slit is defined between the first lever and the second lever.
 4. Themounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the securing member defines asecuring slot, and a protrusion is located in the holding space of thesecuring member and received in the securing slot.
 5. The mountingapparatus of claim 4, wherein a first tab and a second tab are locatedon the latch member, and the securing slot is defined between the firsttab and the second tab; the securing member comprises a main portionsecured to the printed circuit board and two blocks located on the mainportion, the holding space is defined between the two blocks, and theprotrusion is located on one of the two blocks; and the securing memberdefines a gap between the protrusion and the main portion to receive thefirst tab.
 6. A mounting apparatus configured for securing a PCI card,the mounting apparatus comprising: a chassis, the chassis comprising abottom wall and a sidewall perpendicularly connected to the bottom wall;a printed circuit board being secured to the bottom wall, and thesidewall being capable of securing the PCI card; a securing member beingsecured to the printed circuit board; and a latch member removablyattached to the securing member, the latch member comprising a firstlever and a second lever, a slit defined between the first lever and thesecond lever and configured for receiving the PCI card.
 7. The mountingapparatus of claim 6, wherein the first lever of the latch member has alength greater than that of the second lever.
 8. The mounting apparatusof claim 6, wherein the securing member defines a holding space, and thelatch member is slidably received the holding space.
 9. The mountingapparatus of claim 8, wherein a protrusion is located on the holdingspace, the latch member defines a securing slot, and the protrusion isinserted in the securing slot.
 10. The mounting apparatus of claim 9,wherein a first tab and a second tab is located on the latch member, andthe securing slot is defined between the first tab and the second tab;the securing member comprises a main portion and two blocks located onthe main portion, the holding space is defined between the two blocks,and the protrusion is located on one of the two blocks; and the securingmember defines a gap between the protrusion and the main portion toreceive the first tab.